Precor Treadmill Reviews

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If you’re considering buying a new treadmill for your home gym, Precor is a name that you will probably become familiar with fairly quickly.

A history of award-winning design and innovation

With one of the largest collections of light-commercial home treadmills of any fitness equipment company, it’s no surprise that each year they’re recognised by leading review websites for their award winning innovation.

After starting life producing ergonomically designed rowing machines in the early 1980’s, Precor continued to revolutionise the fitness industry by developing the first elliptical trainer in the mid 1990’s.

Fast forward 20 years and Precor are continuing to release collections of innovative new fitness equipment, including their Precision and Energy series of treadmills and ellipticals.

These collections are their latest generation of running and elliptical machines, with upgrades to many of the features that made their 9.3(x) and 9.2(x) collections so popular. But what is it about the Precor treadmills that makes them such a popular choice for home gyms and commercial installations?

Precor Precision Series

Compared to the treadmills in Precor’s Energy series, the TRM 445 and 425 offer several important improvements, including 5 additional years on the parts warranty, and a reversible running deck.

Being reversible effectively doubles the life of the deck, as it allows you to distribute wear from running more evenly. The lift unit used to adjust the incline of the running belt is also more powerful (1,000 lbs of thrust vs. 700 lbs for the Energy series), and you even have a 2% decline option for even more workout variety.

As with the Energy series, the top-of-the-line model in the Precision series (TRM 445) features Preva app integration, for accurate workout performance tracking and goal setting.

The TRM 445 and TRM 425 models also feature Precor’s patented Ground Effects™ Impact Control technology, and Integrated Footplant technology, which reduces the impact of your stride at the same time as making automatic adjustments to the belt speed based on your running pace.

You can find out more about the benefits of the Precision Series treadmills in our guide, or read more about a specific model by clicking on one of our reviews below.

Precor Energy Series

If your budget can’t extend to one of the Precision series of treadmills, Precor’s Energy series still has a number of high quality models to choose from.

Their top-of-the-line TRM 243 offers many of the same workout benefits as the equivalent Precision series model, with its Preva app integration, 4 user profiles, 16 custom workouts, and 12 mph maximum belt speed. The running area is actually longer, making this an excellent alternative, especially when you consider the price difference between the two is usually around $2000.

The Energy series also sees the lowest priced Precor treadmill available in their current generation of fitness equipment – the TRM 211, which usually retails for just over $2000. Despite losing many of the personalized workout features that make these series’ so attractive, you do still benefit from Precor’s exceptional build quality, Energy Stride™ Technology, and a challenging collection of preset workouts.

To find out more about the benefits of the running machines available in the Precor Energy series, we’ve also compiled an in-depth series guide. Alternatively, you can discover more about a specific model by choosing from one of our reviews below.

Precor TRM 835 and 811 models

The TRM 800 series of treadmills builds on the already innovative collection of features you’ll find on the Precision series, but with a greater focus on entertainment options thanks to the consoles.

While the TRM 811 features a P10 console, the TRM 835 features a P30, which is the popular design that’s included with other fitness equipment in their Experience Series, including their AMT trainers. Both of these consoles are compatible with Precor’s specialist collection of entertainment options.

As well as having the same integrated reading rack that you can now find on all of Precor’s latest treadmills, what really sets it apart is the optional Entertainment Cap and Personal Viewing Screen (PVS) attachments.

With a few simple modifications to the console, the Entertainment Cap allows you to select from a range of audio channels, while the PVS provides a more immersive experience through its use of digital technology and large display screen. Read more about machines in the Experience Series..

Advanced deck cushioning technology

Precor’s latest 2014 collection of treadmills offer three patented running deck design features.

The first is their Ground Effects® Impact Control System. This is found on their Precision series machines (TRM 445 and TRM 425), and is the same system they use on their commercial treadmills to provide the perfect amount of shock absorption when you need it most.

Shock absorbers are placed towards the front of the running area to cushion your foot fall, while the rear of the deck is more rigid, creating enabling a more efficient transfer of power when you push off the belt.

The second unique running deck feature available on their Precision range machines is their Integrated Footplant Technology™.

This is designed to further reduce the impact on your knee and hip joints while running, by quickly adjusting the belt speed to match any change you make to your walking, jogging, or running speed.

The third type of shock absorption system used by Precor is Energy Stride™, which is specific to their Energy series machines.

Similar to Ground Effects®, this uses technology from their commercial line of treadmills to reduce stress on joints and ligaments through a unique distribution of shock absorbers and more rigid running deck areas.

Widest range of incline and decline settings

Owning a treadmill that provides a wide selection of incline options is important for a number of reasons, including workout variety, increased training intensity, and to emulate the feeling of running over varying terrain.

Although Precor may be better known for the unique CrossRamp incline system found on their EFX range of crosstrainers, their treadmills also offer the widest range of running deck elevation.

A 15% incline is standard for the Precision, Energy, and 800 series machines, whilst a 2% decline is also available for the Precision treadmills, and 3% decline for their leading TRM 835 model.

Intelligent workout tracking technology

Whether you’re working towards a specific fitness goal, or simply looking to monitor your progress, accurate feedback from the treadmill console is incredibly valuable.

User profiles on many of the Precor treadmills allow you to enter basic personal information, such as weight and age, which can then be used in the calculations that determine your maximum heart rate and the number of calories burned during each workout.

The TRM 445 (Precision series) and TRM 243 (Energy series) also offer integration with the Preva fitness tracking app. This creates a historical log of your workout information, allows you to set goals and work towards achievements, and even watch music videos and catch up on the latest news and sports while you run.

Unlike some fitness equipment companies, Precor don’t tend to feature speakers and cooling fans on their treadmills, and their PVS system is only available for machines in their Experience Series cardio line. This makes Preva a major advantage for the top model in each series.

The TRM 445 and 243 also provide personalized workout suggestions based on your current fitness goals, which are designed to help you reach your targets in the shortest time.

Commercial strength lift and motor power

When you’re making comparisons between treadmills, the motor power will often be one of the influencing factors in determining the weight limit, belt speed, and even incline range.

Precor treadmills, particularly those in their TRM 800 range, have some of the highest rated motors we’ve come across for a treadmill. 4 HP AC is used for the TRM 835 and TRM 811 machines, with 3 HP being used for those in the 2014 collections (Precision and Energy series’).

Despite the differences in rating, the 3 HP and 4 HP powered machines have elevation systems rated to 1000 lbs of thrust, which is what maintains the higher belt speeds (up to 16 mph) through the wide range of incline and decline angles (-3% to 15% for the TRM 835).

This motor power combines with the strength of the frame and running deck to give the Precor machines their high weight limits, usually ranging from 350 lbs to 400 lbs.

Industry-leading warranties

The duration of Precor’s treadmill warranties is testament to the overall build quality of their machines, and backed by an excellent customer service record.

Lifetime warranty coverage is available on the frame and welds for all Precor treadmills, together with 1 year’s labor, and 3 years on the console.

The coverage on parts and wear items differs by machine, with 5 years available for treadmills in the Energy and 9.2(x) series’, and 10 years for the 9.3(x) models and those in the Precision series.

Attractive design

There’s no doubt that having the technology and build quality to support many years of challenging and effective cardio workouts is the primary goal of any treadmill, but it’s also important to consider the overall aesthetics of the design.

This is particularly true if you are looking for a treadmill to use in your living room or bedroom, and can’t designate an entire room to a home gym.

Precor have taken this into account when designing their extensive range of fitness equipment, with their treadmills featuring a streamlined, modern design, reducing the space they need while maintaining a strong frame and large running area.

Well suited to family environments

When you’re buying a new treadmill for a home gym, there can be different safety considerations that need to be taken into account compared to buying for a commercial gym environment.

Firstly, you need to consider if you have the space to permanently allocate to a treadmill. Although they’re still compact for the features they offer, Precor’s treadmills aren’t foldable. This does however mean that you don’t have to worry about lifting a heavy running deck or moving a machine that can weigh in excess of 300 lbs.

If you do have the space, then it’s important to find a machine that’s safe to use, particularly in a family environment with young children.

This is why Precor have integrated a number of important safety features into their treadmills, from the traditional safety key, through to a password for enabling operation of the console.

Their top models in the Precision and Energy series’ also offer up to 4 user profiles, which allows up to 4 people to enter a few basic details to get more accurate workout feedback, and to benefit from custom workouts that they can create themselves.